Carboxylated latex, for example styrene. butadiene-itaconic acid terpolymers, have been prepared by a variety of methods. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,480,078 discloses a continuous emulsion polymerization process for producing carboxylated styrene-butadiene latices characterized in that only a portion of the primary monomers are charged to the first reaction zone followed by subsequent injection of the remaining portion of the primary monomers to the following reaction zone in an overall process using two or more conjugated diene and the non carboxylic acid monomer is added to the first reaction zone with the remaining portion of each primary monomer being charged thereafter. Unfortunately, this method still contributes to the significant formation of 4-phenylcyclohexene (4-PCH).